If you are an XP user, how about a WindowsXP option that allows you to completely and nondestructively rebuild, repair, or refresh an existing XP installation. And the kicker is, it leaves all your installed software alone. It also leaves user accounts, names, and passwords untouched and takes only a fraction of the time a full, from-scratch reinstall does.

The "it" in this case is XP's most powerful rebuild/repair option, and yet Microsoft chose to hide it behind seeming dead ends, red herrings, and a recycled interface that makes it hard to find and (at first) somewhat confusing to use.

But it's worth exploring because this option lets you completely and nondestructively rebuild, repair, or refresh an existing XP installation while leaving already-installed software alone (no reinstallation needed!). It also leaves user accounts, names, and passwords untouched and takes only a fraction of the time a full, from-scratch reinstall does. And unlike a traditional full reinstall, this option doesn't leave you with two copies of XP on your hard drive. Instead, you end up with just the original installation, but repaired, refreshed, and ready to go.